Seven days before re-marriage

Hi,

After a man and woman decide to wed, the woman waits for shivah nekiyyim, a seven-day period in which she makes sure that she is not bleeding as a niddah, before they can get married.

In certain communities, there is a custom that a man who believes he is dying issues a bill of divorce [to prevent a chalitzah obligation for his wife], with the understanding that they will re-marry should his health improve. In such a case, there would be no need for the seven-day waiting period.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Yoreh Deah 1:86)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Dyeing one's hair via ingestible medicine

Hi,

There is a biblical prohibition against grooming one's self in the manner of the opposite gender, and this is understood to include a ban against men dyeing their hair to conceal the grayness of aging. [There are exceptions to this rule, which are beyond the scope of this post. - MT]

This ban includes ingesting a medicine to dye one's hair; the prohibition is not against the technique of dyeing, but against the result of changing the colour.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Yoreh Deah 1:82)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Wearing the clothing of the land

Hi,

In a land where Jews and non-Jews were the same garb, this type of clothing cannot be considered "non-Jewish garb", such that a Jew should avoid it under the laws of chukot akum.

Of course, one must make sure to wear modest clothing, but that is an entirely different matter.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Yoreh Deah 1:81)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Expressing gratitude for a Loan

Hi,

We are not permitted to pay back a lender beyond the actual funds lent, and therefore we are not permitted to thank a lender. [Note that many authorities do permit a simple "thank you" as part of basic manners. - MT]

One who publishes a book with the aid of a loan should not thank the lender in the ackknowledgements. However, one may write something along the lines of, "Blessings are sent from Heaven to so-and-so, who generously..." because this is simply a statement of fact and a fulfillment of one's own obligation to publicize performance of mitzvot. [Of course, this assumes that the lender does not wish to be anonymous.]

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Yoreh Deah 1:80)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Purchasing a mortgage

Hi,

If a Jew takes out a mortgage pledging to pay interest to a non-Jewish lender, and the terms of the loan prohibit the Jew from paying off his mortgage early, then a Jew may purchase the mortgage from the original lender. Because of the inability to pay early, the non-Jewish lender acquired the interest from the date of origination of the loan.

However, where the original lender was Jewish then another Jew may not purchase the mortgage from him, because the Jewish lender did not acquire this illegal interest from the start.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Yoreh Deah 1:79)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Selling shaatnez clothing

Hi,

Jews are biblically prohibited from wearing garments which contain wool and linen. [The prohibition may only be rabbinic, depending on how the wool and linen are blended.]

A Jew may not sell clothing to other Jews if there is a real possibility that it might contain shaatnez. If he warns them, and they are likely to check it out, then he may do so.

A Jew may sell clothing to Jews who won't check it, if the possibility of shaatnez is very small.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Yoreh Deah 1:72)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Kosher catering, Non-kosher program

Hi,

Despite the prohibitions against placing a stumbling block before the blind and aiding wrongdoing, as well as the requirement to help others avoid sinning, one may provide catering services for an event at which transgressions will take place, where there are other catering options besides his own.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Yoreh Deah 1:72)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

An oath on a non-Jewish religious text

Hi,

We are not permitted to cause others to invoke their non-Jewish gods. Nonetheless, one is permitted to sue a non-Jew to recover that which has been unjustly taken from him, even though the defendant will take an oath in the name of his deity.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Yoreh Deah 1:71)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Stamps with crosses on them

Hello,

One who sells stamps for his livelihood may sell stamps which have crosses on them. These are like the crosses on coins, which are there for identification purposes rather than for worship, as evidenced by the way the stamps are treated in circulation.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Yoreh Deah 1:69)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Drafting plans for a non-Jewish house of worship

Hi,

A Jew may serving as a draftsman to draw up plans for construction of a house of worship for a non-Jewish religion. However, it would be good to avoid this, unless that would damage social harmony or create financial hardship.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Yoreh Deah 1:68)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Leaving the kitchen unsupervised

Hi,

One should not leave one's kitchen unsupervised, with a non-Jewish housekeeper in the home, even if cooking is never part of the housekeeper's job. The housekeeper might innocently prepare food for herself or for the family, not realizing the problem this would cause for the kashrut of the kitchen.

One who did this may use the dishes and kitchen equipment after 24 hours have passed, if they had been unaware that doing so is prohibited.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Yoreh Deah 1:61)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Hagalah with steam

Hi,

One cannot kasher via hagalah with steam alone, regardless of its heat, since it is not clear that the steam will cause absorbed taste to be extruded. However, where the steam comes from water at a high boil, and it causes significant quantities of water to develop on the surface, that suffices.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Yoreh Deah 1:60)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Rendering an oven meat or dairy

Hi,

Baking [solid food] does not render an oven meat or dairy; the concern for steam only applies when boiling a liquid.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Yoreh Deah 1:59 [and see 1:40])

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Immersing an electric cooking utensil

Hi,

One who purchases an electric cooking utensil which has two components, an electric heating unit and a unit that holds food, and who cannot immerse the electric unit, may immerse the unit that holds the food, and that is sufficient. This is true even when the units are joined.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Yoreh Deah 1:57)

[Note the disclaimer above.]

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Buying packaged meat

Hi,

Normally, we do require that meat be watched by a Jew from the time of shechitah, to ensure that non-kosher meat is not substituted. There is great concern that someone might substitute non-kosher meat, since the product is identical and the kosher meat is more valuable.

Nonetheless, one may purchase meat from a supermarket where it has not been watched, so long as the package is sealed by someone who has been watching it, in a way that the consumer will be able to detect tampering, and the consumer is informed of what a properly sealed package should look like.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Yoreh Deah 1:56)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Credibility of companies for kashrut

Hi,

If a government-inspected company publishes a statement that they use vegetable oil rather than animal-based oil, that statement is credible, where they are not aware that the issue involved is one of kashrut. This is information the accuracy of which could easily be checked, and they would be seriously harmed by lying.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Yoreh Deah 1:55 [see more there])

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Transporting pork

Hi,

One may transport pork for a living. There is no concern for the appearance of wrongdoing, and there is no concern lest he eat it.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Yoreh Deah 1:51)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Mevushal grape juice

Hi,

[Due to a rabbinic prohibition intended to encourage intramarriage by limiting Jews' ability to socialize with non-Jews, wine which is handled by people who are not Jewish is not kosher. However, due to reasons beyond the scope of this email, wine which has been boiled does not lose its kosher status; this wine is called "yayin mevushal".]

The rules of wine apply to grape juice, despite its lack of alcohol. Therefore, grape juice becomes non-kosher if handled by non-Jews. However, grape juice is often produced by boiling the grapes before juicing them; in such a case, the grape juice is considered "mevushal".

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Orach Chaim 1:50)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Supervision of cheese made with vegetable rennet

Hi,

Jewish supervision of cheese production is required even where the workers are provided with vegetable-based rennet, to ensure that the rules of kashrut are observed and no ingredients are substituted in.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Yoreh Deah 1:50)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

A hair clip outside the eruv

Hi,

A woman may travel outside the eruv with a clip in her hair, where the clip is used to keep her braids in place. However, she may not do this if the goal is to transport the clip to her destination.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Yoreh Deah 1:48)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Establishing a minhag

Hi,

One who is strict in a particular matter three times, knowing that this is not a demand of the law and choosing to do it anyway, is now bound to continue the practice as though he had taken a vow.

One who is strict because he mistakenly believes this is the law, and then finds out otherwise, is not bound to continue his strict practice.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Yoreh Deah 1:46)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Pas Yisrael and Jews who do not observe halachah

Hi,

The law of "Pas Yisrael" is a rabbinic requirement that Jews eat bread only if it was baked by a Jew. This is not about kashrut; this rule was instituted millenia ago in order to encourage meal-based socializing with other Jews, increasing the odds that Jews would marry other Jews.

Because the law is meant to encourage marriage to other Jews, all Jews are acceptable as bakers, even if they are not personally observant of mitzvot.

[As always, note my disclaimer at the top of this blog, regarding disagreement among halachic authorities.]

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Yoreh Deah 1:45)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Commuter trains on Shabbos

Hi,

A Jew may not ride a commuter train or bus on Shabbat, even if there is no charge, and it doesn't start or stop for the sake of the Jew, and it remains within the techum. Since these vehicles are normally ridden by people who are going to work or to make purchases, riding them is prohibited as marit ayin.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Yoreh Deah 1:44)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Separate grates?

Hi,

A stove burner does not need separate grates for meat and dairy use. Any liquid that falls on the grate dries out when the burner is on. Any absorption in the grate is not a factor, because the grate is dry and the pot it touches is dry, and so the absorption in the grate would not transfer to the pot.

[Of course, one would need to remove any actual meat or dairy substance sitting on the grate before introducing a pot of the opposite kind.]

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Yoreh Deah 1:40)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Bread that was used with a meat meal

Hi,

One need not have separate loaves of bread for meat and dairy meals; people generally are careful not to touch the loaf with hands that have handled meat or dairy.

However, bread which was handled with a meat or dairy meal, with the expectation of eating it at that meal, should not be used later for a meal of the opposite kind. Because people think they will eat it with this meal, they are not careful to avoid getting meat/dairy on the bread.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Yoreh Deah 1:38)

Have a great day,
Mordechai